I propose to take Questions Nos. 1253 and 1254 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tables. The details relating to staff 'expected' to leave or be employed at a future date relate to compulsory retirements and any planned recruitment respectively which we are aware of. As the Deputy will know, resignations, voluntary retirements etc. occur on an ongoing basis across all Departments and I would expect that the decision to extend the "Grace period"* under the Haddington Road Agreement to the end of June 2015 may well lead to voluntary retirements in my Department before that date. It is however not possible to estimate these. It should be noted that vacancies occurring in the Department as a result of retirements/resignations/transfers etc. are considered on a case-by-case basis in terms of whether they are filled in order to maintain essential service delivery so any savings in terms of salary costs are cancelled out if a staff member is replaced. In addition, any savings occurring as a result of salaries no longer being paid to staff who have retired from the Department is somewhat mitigated by the pensions paid to them on retirement by the Exchequer.
* The "Grace period" for pension purposes is a period during which both the reduction in pay for those earning over €65,000 and any deferral of increment progression will be disregarded.
New Staff Employed and expected annual costs:
|
-
|
Number
|
Expected Annual Salary Costs
|
|
July 2013- December 2013
|
9
|
€637,459
|
|
2014
|
21
|
€1,145,196
|
Departures and expected annual savings
|
-
|
Number
|
Associated Annual Salaries
|
|
July 2013- December 2013
|
20
|
€1,092,883
|
|
2014
|
43 (Expected)
|
€2,754,572
|
|
2015
|
9
|
€421,160
|
|
2016
|
10
|
€554,712
|
